NBC THIS IS US -- "Super Bowl Sunday" Episode 214 -- Pictured: Sterling K. Brown as Randall
After an explosive couple of episodes, This Is Us is taking a bit of a break. The show will return on Tuesday, February 27 at 9pm ET/PT.
NBCTHIS IS US — “That’ll Be The Day” Episode 213
In its place, NBC will be airing the Olympics. On February 13, Olympic coverage will begin at 8pm ET and continue through until 11:30 pm ET. The show will also not air on February 20.
And how many episodes are left, in total? Season 2 consists of 18 episodes; we’ve already watched 14. Meaning, sadly, that there are only four episodes left in this season of the NBC drama series.
The good news is that our tear ducts could use a bit of a rest. On the special post-Super Bowl episode, we learned that Jack died from cardiac arrest after inhaling too much smoke in the house fire caused by a faulty crockpot. Rebecca’s and the kids’ reactions left everyone devastated. The only somewhat consoling presence came in the form of Dr. K on Tuesday night, who told a sobbing Rebecca that she had “made one of the sweetest damn pitchers of lemonade from the sourest of lemonade before”, and can do it again.
Speaking on NBC’s This Is Us Aftershow on February 6, Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia opened up about Jack’s death. Ventimiglia said, “I don’t think anyone is ready for a loss of that magnitude. Especially with how Jack and Rebecca were and are as a couple. They were one.”
Moore continued, “As we were shooting that episode, I just kept thinking in my mind… I am floating. I am so unconnected and disconnected from everything around me, including my kids. I just think she couldn’t find any ground.”
In another interview with Entertainment Weekly, Moore explained how exhausting but rewarding playing the role has been. “… As Mandy, I’m worried about my emotional well-being. [Laughs.] No. I feel very drained emotionally. Like, any sort of emotion has just been vacuum-sucked out of me for the last two months. But I’ve loved the challenge of showing up to work every day and figuring out where it’s all going to come from. But poor Rebecca — man, she really has been through the ringer. It’s such a huge loss that it speaks to this great sadness that present-day Rebecca continues to walk around with. This is a hole that will never get filled.”
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What’s going to happen from here on out? NBC has made it clear that although Jack is dead, we’re not even close to being finished with his character. Upcoming episodes will feature Jack’s brother, Nicky, whom he served with in the Vietnam war.
Jack briefly brought up his brother to Kevin and Randall in the most recent episode of “The Car”; we can only assume that his relationship with his brother, and also with his father, is going to be an important subject in upcoming weeks.
Be sure to tune in to a new episode of This Is Us, Tuesday, February 27, at 9pm ET/PT after NBC’s Olympics coverage.